Talk show veteran Conan O’Brien was feted with the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Sunday in a lively production that blended accolades from numerous colleagues with occasional jabs at the Trump administration by participants — included the evening’s honoree.
Fellow Mark Twain Prize winner Will Ferrell was among those on hand to celebrate O’Brien. He couldn’t resist a reference to current events in Washington. Ferrell joked that he didn’t budget enough time for the ceremony: “I’m supposed to be shutting down the Department of Education,” he quipped.
Fresh off his emcee duties at the Academy Awards, O’Brien received the Mark Twain prize from David Letterman at the conclusion of the roast-style love fest from numerous comedians at the annual affair. Slated to air as a special on Netflix at a future date, it was the first national event held at the Kennedy Center since its top leaders – chairman David Rubenstein and president Deborah Rutter – were replaced by President Donald Trump, who named himself as the center’s chairman.
The Mark Twain program in its 26th year followed the traditional format of testimonials from an array of comics embellished with video clips, while the recipient and his family watched from a nearby box at the center’s Concert Hall. The program was produced by Done + Dusted.
Per its traditional format, the Twain program featured accolades from colleagues interspersed with video clips. Among them were Will Ferrell, Tracy Morgan, Sarah Silverman, Reggie Watts, Kumal Nanjiani, Adam Sandler and Bill Burr. Several took swipes at President Trump while praising the awardee. Among them were former Twain Prize awardee Ferrell, who apologized for budgeting little time for the event. “I’m supposed to be shutting down the Department of Education,” he noted.
Silverman joined the parade with a lament about the changing times. “I miss the days when you were America’s only orange asshole,” she said to O’Brien before launching into an X rated bit that was based on a close-up photo of O’Brien’s lips — one of which was taped to the side of every seat in the center’s Concert Hall. Comedian John Mulaney also quipped that the Kencen should be renamed “the Roy Cohn Pavillion of big strong men who love ‘Cats’ ” – the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that Trump has suggested that the center should present.
Another highlight was a team effort by Stephen Colbert and “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans, who subjected the honoree on stage to a meal of increasingly spicy chicken wings while posing questions on assorted topics.
But there were serious moments too. The significance of the occasion was not lost on the honoree, who said that receiving the award from Letterman was “beyond my comprehension.” He recalled that in 1987, two years out of college, he was unemployed and living in Los Angeles, seeking a job writing on NBC’s “Late Night With David Letterman.” He was informed that the position was filled. “I was very, very scared,” he told the audience.
“Imagine if suddenly some angel from the future appears and tells me that 40 years from now, I would be on stage at the Kennedy Center, and that the most prestigious award in comedy would be handed to me by David Letterman,” said O’Brien. “I would have said, “Wait a minute! David Letterman is still alive? Forty years from now? He’s 20 years older than me!”
He then lapsed into a heartfelt reprise that began with thanks to Rubenstein and Rutter, and included “the beautiful people who have worked at the Kennedy Center for years and were worried about what the future would bring.”
He said that accepting an award named after Twain involves a responsibility. “One cannot evoke Twain without understanding who he was and what he stood for,” O’Brien told the audience. “Twain is alive and vibrant today. As America’s greatest humorist, his enduring power springs from his core principles that shaped his comedy. He empathized with powerless Americans including former slaves, Chinese laborers, and European Jews. He fought against prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness.” He said it was Twain who wrote, “patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.” The message drew extended applause from the appreciative audience.
The sentiment was followed by a parade of Mark Twains — all clad in white suits — led off by actor Will Forte, who was seated in the audience.
The Kennedy Center, one of Washington, D.C.’s most prominent arts institutions, has faced upheaval since last month when President Donald Trump fired numerous board members including former chairman David Rubenstein. Trump subsequently installed himself as president. After that, industry notables such as Shonda Rhimes, soprano Renée Fleming and musician Ben Folds resigned their Kennedy Center posts.
Deborah Rutter, the center’s longtime executive director, was also fired by Trump despite having announced that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump installed Richard Grenell as interim executive director of the Kennedy Center.
Trump’s actions this year have been a continuation of the contentious relationship he had with the Kennedy Center during his first term in the White House. Trump’s extremist political agenda has made him a pariah to many artists and entertainers. After his election in 2016, the annual Kennedy Center Honors was caught in the partisan crossfire as numerous artists vowed not to take part in the prestigious event if Trump were to attend, as has been customary for the U.S. president for decades. Amid the standoff, Trump and first lady Melania Trump opted not to attend the Kennedy Center Honors ceremonies held during his first term.